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Littleton supporter paying for Menger ads

The Libertarian Party candidate for House District 54 will see his first paid advertisements this weekend, but the candidate who has not raised or spent any money on the campaign isn’t paying for them.

Instead, the quarter-page ads that will run in The Daily Sentinel starting on Friday through Election Day are being paid by a Littleton Libertarian who supports Tim Menger’s campaign against Republican candidate Jared Wright.

Frank Atwood, who created a special campaign account with the Secretary of State’s Office called Friends of Tim Menger, has collected and spent $568 on various campaign material, according to the most recent campaign finance reports filed on Monday.

But the campaign has spent even more than that — $2,700, according to the Sentinel’s advertising rate card — on five newspaper ads, which it hasn’t yet reported.

Menger said he didn’t know about the expenditure, and has continued to abide by his campaign promise not to raise or spend any money during the campaign.

Meanwhile, Wright raised another $3,590 in the past two weeks, including $500 from the Mesa County Republican Party.

Altogether, Wright has raised nearly $22,000 and spend most of it, $19,666, according to his most recent report filed Monday. He’s spent much of that money on advertising and political consultants.

By comparison, Rep. Ray Scott, R-Grand Junction, has spent more than $16,000 in his race for House District 55 against Democrat Dan Robinson, who’s spent about $12,000.

Despite his lack of spending, Menger said he feels confident he has a chance to win the race because of Wright’s troubles, which include his being asked to leave his job as a Fruita police officer and his 2011 bankruptcy that left him owing about $74,000 for several personal expenses, such as a classic car, jewelry and a tanning salon membership.

“I think it’s going to be close,” Menger said. “Judging by everyone I’ve seen everywhere, I’ve seen so many Republicans who have said ‘I’m not going to vote for that weasel.’ That’s just one of many names they’ve called him.”